IPS Monitors but no HDMI Port - help needed

[Buckeye]

Thanks to everyone's input on my last question, I did decide to go with a traditional desktop PC configuration that has plenty of storage space, RAM and processor speed. Good graphics card. Pretty easy. I am getting hung up on a monitor issue, however.

There are a number of very reasonably priced IPS monitors I like, but they do not have a HDMI port. I know they make DVI-HDMI adapters, but do you lose out on anything if you go that route? Or do I need to make sure that the 8-bit IPS monitor has a direct HDMI port? I am stuck on this and sure would appreciate anyone's thoughts.

Humble regards,
Anita

[Polar01]

Anita your new desktop should have a number of different ports that will allow a cable from it to your monitor. Remember that a HDMI cable also carries sound, as your monitor likely does not have speakers, no need for such a port, so a standard monitor cable will work. I am sure that others who know more about this will be of greater help.

Cheers:

Allan

[dje]

Anita the video component of DVI is compatible with the video component of HDMI. HDMI carries extra things like sound and control signals. You won't need the control signals for a monitor and unless you have speakers built in to the monitor, you won't be able to use the sound (as Allan mentions). You won't lose any video quality using DVI rather than HDMI.

I have a video card which has DVI and HDMI outputs and a monitor which has DVI and HDMI inputs. I use DVI between the PC and the monitor and I use the HDMI output on the video card to feed to a TV. I might occasionally plug something like a BD player into the HDMI input on the monitor but this is hardly an essential requirement for me.

Dave

PS I assume your monitor will be 1920 x 1080 (ie not a fancy super high resolution monitor).

[Buckeye]

Yes Dave, the resolution will be 1920 x 1080. You and Allen explained this pretty well and I think I "get it". Here's what I think I now understand: when I transfer video with sound from my camera to my PC, I am using an HDMI cable to bring the audio and video into the PC. Now the PC has all the information. It is ok to run a DVI cable from the monitor (has no speakers) to the PC. This will produce no degradation in the transfer of the image from the PC to the monitor just because the graphics information is being sent over a DVI (not HDMI) cable. When the video is played on the monitor, the sound for the video will be produced by the speakers that are plugged into my PC. Have I "got it right?" Am I anywhere near close?

[dje]

Yes Dave, the resolution will be 1920 x 1080. You and Allen explained this pretty well and I think I "get it". Here's what I think I now understand: when I transfer video with sound from my camera to my PC, I am using an HDMI cable to bring the audio and video into the PC. Now the PC has all the information. It is ok to run a DVI cable from the monitor (has no speakers) to the PC. This will produce no degradation in the transfer of the image from the PC to the monitor just because the graphics information is being sent over a DVI (not HDMI) cable. When the video is played on the monitor, the sound for the video will be produced by the speakers that are plugged into my PC. Have I "got it right?" Am I anywhere near close?

Anita as far as the PC - monitor interface is concerned, I believe you've "got it right". The only thing I'd query in your statement is "when I transfer video with sound from my camera to my PC, I am using an HDMI cable to bring the audio and video into the PC." I doubt that you'd be using an HDMI cable for this - probably a USB cable. The HDMI interface on your camera would normally be used to feed video and sound directly to a TV.

Dave

[Manfred M]

Yes Dave, the resolution will be 1920 x 1080. You and Allen explained this pretty well and I think I "get it". Here's what I think I now understand: when I transfer video with sound from my camera to my PC, I am using an HDMI cable to bring the audio and video into the PC. Now the PC has all the information. It is ok to run a DVI cable from the monitor (has no speakers) to the PC. This will produce no degradation in the transfer of the image from the PC to the monitor just because the graphics information is being sent over a DVI (not HDMI) cable. When the video is played on the monitor, the sound for the video will be produced by the speakers that are plugged into my PC. Have I "got it right?" Am I anywhere near close?

Not quite right Anita – HDMI is a secure digital format that is required by High Definition video signals to play at the highest quality levels. This means that you won’t be able to run a Blu-Ray, HD TV signal, etc directly to your screen and that is about it.

What you do want to avoid is using an analogue VGA connector; you should be using a digital DVI or DisplayPort to connect your computer to your screen. This will give you a cleaner signal.

[Buckeye]

Dave, you are absolutely correct. I am using a USB cable from my camera to my PC. And thanks very much for jumping in Manfred. The information/explanations posted to this thread straightened out on this connectivity mess that was a product of my own lack of knowledge. Consider me enlightened by your input, and thank you all for taking the time to help me on this.
Anita

[Cantab]

What you do want to avoid is using an analogue VGA connector; you should be using a digital DVI or DisplayPort to connect your computer to your screen. This will give you a cleaner signal.

I have a question similar to Anita's. I also have been looking at IPS monitors. My current video card has only VGA ports, no HDMI or DVI but the monitor in question (an Asus) has a VGA as well as HDMI inputs. Presumably the resulting image would still be an improvement over an aging CRT monitor?

[dje]

Presumably the resulting image would still be an improvement over an aging CRT monitor?

I would have thought so Bruce. A VGA interface may not be as good as DVI but it still should be fine. I think the thing to check is what sort of video signals your video card can produce - it may not be able to produce full HD (1920x1080) for example which means you won't get the full benefit of a new monitor. It sounds like the computer is "getting on a bit".

Dave

[Manfred M]

I have a question similar to Anita's. I also have been looking at IPS monitors. My current video card has only VGA ports, no HDMI or DVI but the monitor in question (an Asus) has a VGA as well as HDMI inputs. Presumably the resulting image would still be an improvement over an aging CRT monitor?

You must be either using a very old video card or are running your screen off a laptop. CRTs really start losing their quality after they are about 5 years old, so I would expect that you will notice some difference if you get a new screen. If you are using a desktop, put the $35 - $45 into a new video card and get the full potential out of your new device.

If you are using your laptop, you are stuck with VGA and stuck with 8-bit colour. I can't say if your image will be an improvement or not. Laptops really have fairly limited adjustments and I don't use one for photo and video work if I don't have to. The one negative I do have is that LCD screens are too bright. With my CRTs I would turn them way down and work in a fairly dark room, with LCDs this is not possible.

[Cantab]

Manfred and Dave, thanks for your comments. For photo work, I use a 5 year old desktop and a profiled (wait for it) 14 year old 19" CRT. So the time seems to have arrived for an IPS monitor!